Ienzo?
by ash-nobody
Summary: Who knew Zexion was so insecure about his appearances? Unfortunately, a stupid sick day is going to ruin it all for him.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Ienzo?

Summary: Who knew Zexion was so insecure about his appearances? Unfortunately, a stupid sick day is going to ruin it all for him.

Rating: T, for some swearing.

Genre: Friendship, Humor.

Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would have made Zexion look the same age as Ienzo. Can you imagine Riku fighting a Zexion half his size?

Chapter One

"Number V, where's Number VI?"

Lexaeus looked up from his previous mission report to Saix. The scarred Nobody looked mildly annoyed with something, most likely as to what had happened to Zexion.

"I haven't seen him since yesterday morning," he replied, and went back to his report. Lexaeus had simply assumed that Zexion had RTC later than planned. "Perhaps he is still asleep."

Saix didn't seem happy with that excuse. "Go find him and bring him here. He has missions to do."

Lexaeus nodded and stood up. It was bothersome to be ordered around by someone he considered a subordinate, but he had to admit that he was a little worried about his friend. Sure, Zexion was hard to wake up in the morning, but after the daily ritual of Demyx going to the kitchen, making a mess, then being yelled at by Axel, who gets yelled at by Roxas, who gets laughed at by Xigbar, who accidentally shoots Vexen, who yells death threats at them all, Zexion usually wakes up.

He left the Gray Area in search of his friend. First he checked the library, where Zexion would occasionally be found after reading all night. When it was clear that he wasn't there, Lexaeus went to the lab. All he found was a sour-faced Vexen who was still angry about what had happened that morning. So Lexaeus walked himself over to Zexion's room.

The door was close. Lexaeus gently knocked on it (Even so, with his amazing strength, it still echoed down the halls.) and said, "Zexion, are you in there?"

There was no answer. He almost walked away before he heard something: a cough.

He knocked on the door again. "Zexion?"

In response he received a round of muffled coughing on the other side of the door. Someone was definitely in there.

"If you don't open the door, I'll come in myself," Lexaeus threatened.

Two seconds passed before he heard, "Go away!"

The Silent Hero nodded and went in anyway.

The first thing he noticed was that the room was filthy. Xemnas required that everyone keep their part of the castle clean and orderly, a rule that only Demyx had problems with. What had Zexion done in there?

In the dark room, Lexaeus spotted a figure on the bed groaning. He squinted his eyes to try and get a better look. "Zexion?"

The figure on the bed yelled and toppled over the edge. It quickly recovered, grabbed the blanket, and hid under the bed.

"Pay no attention to the Nobody underneath the bed!" a Zexion-like voice rasped.

Lexaeus walked around all of the mess in the room, trying not to step on anything. "Saix has requested your presence."

"Tell him I won't work today. I don't care if he turns me into a Dusk!"

Lexaeus paused at the bed. The voice sounded like Zexion, but…higher. He bent down and looked at the figure. It was wrapped in the blanket, huddled as if to hide itself.

Unfortunately, Lexaeus never took no for an answer. He grabbed the figure and pulled it out. It was hard; it wasn't that they were too heavy. No, they just started kicking and screaming and coughing. Finally, Lexaeus had the figure by the hood of his cloak and was holding him a few feet above the ground. They still kicked, yelling at him to put them down. With his free hand, Lexaeus reached for a light. He turned it on to see the person better, and did a double take.

The person _looked _like Zexion, but it wasn't. His undone hair was lighter, and so were his eyes. And, to top it all off, he looked like an eight-year-old.

"I-Ienzo?"

Ienzo stopped struggling and said angrily, "No, it's me, Zexion. Now put me down. I feel like I'm about to puke."

Lexaeus quickly complied and set him down on the bed. The much younger-looking Zexion crawled over to the other side where a bucket was and threw up. When his little episode was over, he sat up and looked at Lexaeus. "Now, what were you here for?"

For the first time in his life, Number V was stunned. "Um, Saix wants you to report in."

"I can't exactly do that now, can I?" he retorted angrily. He scratched his head, making his hair even messier.

"Zexion, why do you look like…that?" Lexaeus asked.

He groaned and leaned back on his pillow. "I always look like this, Lex. I just use my powers to make myself _appear _older so that people will take me seriously. But, during that mission yesterday, I got some sort of flu, and now I'm too tired to use my powers." He scrunched his nose in disgust. "I was hoping that no one would notice today, but _no, _there are missions to be done!"

"Uh, huh. And your room?"

"It's always messy, I just make it appear to be clean so I don't actually have to clean it."

Lexaeus nodded, still pretty dumbfounded by his discoveries. "So, what are you going to do?"

"What am I going to do?" Zexion sat up and rolled the sleeves of his Organization XIII cloak up. It hung several sizes too big on him. "I'm going to stay here and wait this thing out! I'm sure it's just a twenty-four hour thing anyway, and by tomorrow, I'll be able to play the charade again."

"And Saix?"

"He could be neutered for all I care." The younger Zexion was surprisingly more…cynical than usual.

"I have to tell him something."

"Just tell him I'm sick and to leave me alone!" Zexion lowered his voice and said, "Lexaeus, no one must find out about this, understand? Absolutely nobody--"

"Hey Zexy, Xemnas wants to know why Saix was…" Larxene had stuck her head in his door to ask him a question, but when her eyes fell upon the little kid in Zexion's bed, she trailed off. Unfortunately, she was able to piece together everything a lot quicker than Lexaeus had. She pointed at the kid and yelled, "Oh my gosh, Zexion! Everyone come look at this!"

Zexion shot Lexaeus a death glare. "You left the door _open?"_

_Lexaeus merely shrugged and turned away. He wasn't about to be yelled at by a eight-year-old._

_A/N: Okay, I know this is random, but have you seen the pictures of Ienzo from Birth By Sleep? I mean, he's like a little kid while Zexion's a bit older. I couldn't help but wonder how that happened, then someone brought up this theory about Zexion using his illusion powers to make himself appear older. From there I kind of ran with it. :D_

_Thank you for reading this chapter. Review if you would like._

_--ash~nobody :D_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"So let me get this straight. _This_, right here, is what you really look like?"

Xemnas looked down at Zexion who was still in his bed. Everyone else had gathered in the room to see the show. Zexion sighed and looked away, his face flushed with fever.

"Yeah."

"He's so cute!" Axel fake-cooed. Zexion glared at the pyro, which only made a few of the other members laugh. Apparently a sick, angry mini-Zexion was too cute to take seriously. He was right in changing his appearance before.

Xemnas ignored the jest and continued. "And you're not Ienzo?"

"Who's Ienzo?" Xion whispered to Roxas.

"Dunno. But if he's important, we'll find out," he whispered back.

Zexion sighed impatiently. "No, I'm not. Now can you guys please leave? I feel like I'm about to hurl."

Which was why everyone was on one side of the room, standing away from him. No one wanted to smell like throw up, or get sick for that matter.

The Superior turned to Vexen. "You studied the boy's symptoms. What is it?"

Vexen hesitated. "I'm actually not quite sure, sir, but I can tell you that this sickness is not contagious."

Xigbar laughed. "So we can spend time with Ienzo here and not get sick?"

"No one is spending time with me at all today!" Zexion yelled. "Now get out!"

"Everyone is to go and do their missions," Xemnas said as if he hadn't heard the screaming kid. "What you all do after your missions is up to you."

"So who will look after him while we're gone?" Xaldin asked. "He's okay now, sort of, but what if he gets worse while we're gone?"

"The Dusks will look after him."

"I don't mean to be rude, Superior, but I think that the Dusks are not qualified to take care of someone in an emergency situation," Marluxia interjected.

"Fine. Roxas, Demyx, you'll stay behind and watch over him."

"What? Why me?" Demyx asked, disappointed. He had wanted to go to Atlantica that day…

"Roxas can handle a kid, since he's one of the closest things we have to one, and Demyx, you can prove smart under pressure. If he gets into any life-threatening situations, you'll know what to do."

"Did Xemnas just call Demyx 'smart'?" Luxord mumbled to Larxene.

"Hey! I heard that!"

"Everyone," Xemnas interrupted, "you will go and complete the missions that you have been issued. Dismiss yourselves." He then opened a dark portal. Before leaving, he added, "Zexion, you need to pick up your room." And with that, he was gone.

Zexion fumed as everyone left.

"Great," Xigbar muttered as he left. "Gotta go find more organization emblems."

Larxene laughed at him as she followed him out. "Only the _stupid _people get that job."

Luxord tossed a pack of cards at Zexion. "Here, kid, in case you get bored."

Zexion bitterly noted how people were already calling him "kid", but nodded and mumbled a thanks anyway. At least he was trying to be nice. No, Marluxia was having a freaking field day with his circumstances. He left the room letting out all the laughter he had been holding in while Xemnas was there.

Lexaeus patted Zexion's head and walked out. It was his little way of saying, "Good luck."

Saix nodded. "Get better," he said, and left. Xaldin followed, but not before looking at Zexion with questioning eyes. Vexen kept his eyes down as he left. Soon the only guests in his room were Demyx, Roxas, Xion, and Axel. God, how he wanted Axel to leave. No, now that he was sure that he wouldn't get sick, he was having a great time.

Axel squinted his eyes as if inspecting Zexion, and said, "I didn't think there was any possible way for you to be shorter. I stand corrected."

Zexion grabbed the cards Luxord had given him and, with all the strength in his little body, hurled the pack at Axel's head. He barely even blinked.

"Axel, you're the only one I've ever had to tell this to: stop harassing the minor," Roxas ordered.

Number VIII rolled his eyes.

"Looks like I won't be able to join you guys for ice cream today," Roxas sighed. "I'll see you guys when you get back."

"Don't worry," Xion said with a smile. "We'll come back as soon as we're done with our missions."

"But you guys need to get ice cream."

"Quite frankly, Roxas, I'd skip out on sea salt if it means I get to see Zexion like this," Axel said with a smirk. Zexion had realized that there was nothing he could do to get back at him at the moment, so he merely wrapped his blanket tighter around himself.

"Don't make fun of him now," Xion chastised. Zexion smiled; he had always known that she was one of the nice ones.

"We have missions to do," she continued. "You can make fun of him later."

Figures.

The two left with a wave, and Zexion was left with Demyx and Roxas. The three stood there awkwardly. None of them had bothered to really get to know each other before. Sure, they were somewhat cordial to each other, but other than that, they had no other contact.

"Why don't you get some sleep?" Demyx suggested.

He shook his head. "I tried sleeping. Doesn't work." He covered his mouth and coughed.

"How about we get him some cough medicine?" Roxas suggested. "I bet they have a store in Twilight Town that sells some."

Demyx agreed, and Roxas portaled out. The two remaining Nobodies sat there in silence again until Zexion had to throw up.

"I have an idea," Demyx said after he was done with his business. "Why don't you change into some pajamas?"

Zexion regarded him as some sort of idiot. "And what impact at all would that have on me?"

"Well, when kids are sick, they stay home in the pajamas all day, right? Go change."

"Demyx, I have no pajamas."

"Really? Why not?"

"I don't think anyone in the Organization has pajamas, Demyx. Only you."

Demyx rolled his eyes. "I think I have some that will fit you. I'll be right back." Before Zexion could protest, Number IX disappeared in a wave of purple smoke.

Just as he left, Roxas arrived with a brown paper bag in hand. "Here you go, Zexion. The cashier said this should help with the cough." He tossed the small bottle to him them looked around. "Where'd Demyx go?"

"Something about pajamas," Zexion muttered as he opened the medicine and poured the liquid into the lid. He swallowed the bitter substance and shivered. "I can't say I'm looking forward to his return."

"Oh, come on, Demyx is cool."

Zexion sighed. "Roxas, I'm sorry that I'm keeping you here."

Roxas squished his eyebrows in confusion. "Sorry for getting sick? That's nonsense."

"But you should be hanging out with your friends instead of being stuck here."

"You're my friend, too," Roxas insisted. He added with a grin, "Besides, I'm glad I don't have to do my mission today. Saix was going to send me to go fight a Ruler of the Sky."

Demyx reappeared with a set of light blue pajamas in his hands. "They're the smallest I have, but they still might be too big on you." He tossed him the pants and button up top.

Zexion lifted them with two fingers. "Why in Kingdom Hearts would I wear this?"

"Because you only have one Organization coat, and I doubt that you want it to smell like puke."

Damn it. He had a point. Zexion got up grumbling, the pajamas in hand, and went to the bathroom to change. Demyx was right again--it was a few sizes too big. He rolled the sleeves and the pants legs up, but it barely helped. When he went back to his room, it was empty. He wrapped himself in his blanket, grabbed a random book off the floor, and left.

Demyx and Roxas were waiting for him in the Gray Area. Both look up and smiled their greetings, but he ignored them and sat on the other side of the room. He climbed into his favorite chair, wrapped the blanket around him, and opened his book ready to read the day away.

But something was wrong. A few paragraphs in, his head started to hurt. The words in front of him began to blur. He groaned and held his head between his small hands.

Demyx and Roxas appeared beside him. "Hey, what's wrong?" Roxas asked.

Zexion shook his head. "I don't know. I tried to read but then my head started to hurt and the words were hard to read and, and, and…" He paused, and his face was filled with terror. "What if this disease makes me stupid? What if I end up like Axel or Marluxia or Larxene?" He was interrupted by a round of hiccups brought on by his excitement.

"I think he's having a panic attack." Demyx sounded scared. "What do we do?"

"Er…There, there." Roxas patted the boy's head. "Everything will be okay?"

Zexion paused. Ienzo used to have panic attacks all the time--one of the disadvantages of being a child genius. And every time he went into one of his little episodes, he would do something to calm himself down. Zexion thought about it, then figured it was worth a try.

He jumped up and ran to the kitchen. Before his babysitters could catch up with him, he opened the fridge and grabbed the milk and the chocolate syrup. There was no time for cups, so he simply chugged down half the gallon of milk. By the time the other two Nobodies came in, Zexion was drinking up the chocolate syrup. They both looked at him in confusion. He set down the bottle on the floor and sat down next to it.

"Chocolate milk calms me down," he explained, and burped.

Demyx and Roxas exchanged a look, then grinned.

"I wonder how a sick kid's stomach is going to react to chocolate milk?" Roxas asked.

"I'm not sure, but judging from the mess this kid made--" He gestured to the puddle of milk on the floor-- "I'm going to have to say that he drank a lot."

Zexion squished his eyebrows together in confusion. "What do you--" A queasy feeling came upon him, and he ran for the trash can.

A/N: Have you noticed that when ever the game shows one of the members sleeping, they're always wearing their orgy coats? That must be uncomfortable, with all the zippers and stuff.

Or maybe they _don't wear orgy coats in bed…0.o_

_I don't know about you, but whenever I get sick, I have headaches and can't do anything that makes me think too hard. I figured Zexion would freak out in a situation like that. Aren't I cruel? :D_

_--ash~nobody_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Zexion reemerged from the bathroom, his face pale and his stomach making weird noises. Damn this sickness! Whoever gave it to him would suffer.

He went to the kitchen where he last saw the two Nobodies. They had cleaned up the chocolate milk mess, much to his surprise. They sat at the table, talking about stuff that Nobodies normally talked about.

He slid into his chair. It seemed much bigger than he remembered. He looked up at Roxas and Demyx. "Hey, thanks for taking care of me, guys."

Roxas smiled, and Demyx replied with a cheerful, "No problem! Besides, it's the least we could do."

Zexion raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"Well, I feel kind of guilty…"

His stomach turned to lead. "Demyx, what are you guilty for?"

"BOO!"

Xigbar suddenly appeared in front of poor Zexion, hanging upside down over the table. Zexion freaked out and fell out of his chair. The mild pain in his head grew to a full blown migraine.

"XIGBAR!"

Number II laughed and straightened himself upright. "Relax, kiddo. I didn't kill you, did I?"

"You could have!"

"You know, I think I like this," Roxas remarked. "Everyone's calling you kid instead of me."

Zexion shot a look at him as he pulled himself back up. Turning his attention to Xigbar, he snapped, "What are you here for?"

"What, I can't check up on my friend Ienzo here?" He snickered. "I finished my mission and thought it would be nice to bring you a gift."

When Zexion heard "gift", he hid beneath the table, and with good reason. Last time he received a gift from Xigbar, it was Xaldin's dragon nobody stuffed in a small box. Let's just say that it was not pretty at all.

"Get back!" he hissed. "I may be physically decapitated right now, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid!"

Xigbar reached into his coat and pulled something out. Number XI wasn't sure what he was expecting: a gun, a porn magazine, maybe even his right eye. He was quite shocked when he saw what it was.

It was a green teddy bear with a green ribbon around its neck. A white ribbon with the words "Get well soon" in blue cursive writing was draped around it. Zexion looked the bear in the eyes, surprised by his interest in it.

"Here." Xigbar handed it to him. "Thought it might make you feel better."

Zexion hesitatingly took it. He wasn't sure why he felt so touched by the stuffed toy, but he was. He crawled out from under the table and looked up at him. "T-thank you."

Xigbar grinned. "No problem. Now, I gotta head off. Xaldin's going crazy in Beast's Castle again, and Xemnas wants me to reel him in." He waved goodbye before disappearing.

"That was random," Demyx said.

Roxas nodded. "Agree." He looked over at Zexion. "Hey, you okay?"

Zexion nodded, never taking his eyes off the bear. It seemed so perfect in every way. Was it the fever making him think this way, or was it because he looked like a kid that he was beginning to think as one?

"Hey, you worked under Ansem when you were a kid, right?" Demyx inquired.

"Yeah. Why?" He reluctantly looked away from the bear.

"Well, I was just wondering. You spent your childhood in a lab doing smart stuff, and now that you don't have to, you use your illusions to make yourself appear older. It just seems to me like you never really had much of a childhood. Right?"

Zexion shrugged.

"Wow. Demyx, what you said actually made sense," Roxas observed.

"Thanks. I've been watching daytime television."

But Zexion wasn't paying attention anymore. Perhaps Demyx was right (What was with him being right today? he wondered.) and he never really was a kid. Perhaps getting sick was his chance on living like a kid for once.

Another portal opened up, and Xion and Axel entered the kitchen. Axel quickly grabbed Zexion and the other three tied him up in a bib and other baby crap.

Zexion was not amused.

The next day Zexion emerged from his room completely fine, and looking just as grown up as usual. When he approached Saix for his mission, he asked, "Are you sure you're fit for missions? I don't want any mishaps on the field today."

Zexion nodded. "I'm fine." In truth, he just wanted to get out of the castle. Axel had taken a picture of Zexion after their cruel little makeover and pasted copies of it all over the castle. This confused the Dusks, who suddenly started following the Schemer at a distance, which completely freaked him out.

He received his orders to go to Halloween Town and when he was completely prepared, he departed. When he arrived, he caught sight of three children running around.

Zexion thought about Demyx's words yesterday, and how undeniably good it felt to think like a real kid and be entertained by a mere teddy bear. He truly missed it.

But he couldn't give up his tough demeanor for his pleasures…could he?

Zexion looked to his left, then to his right. When he was sure that no one from Organization XIII was near, he dropped his illusions. Seconds later he was the eight-year-old kid that he used to be, and this time, he wasn't upset about it.

Several shadows rose up from the ground in front of him. He smiled a surprisingly demonic smile for a child and summoned his Lexicon.

Ienzo might not have had a chance to be a kid and have fun, but that didn't mean that Zexion couldn't.

A/N: Aww, who knew that Xigbar could be such a softie? That teddy bear he game Zexion is actually modeled after my bear Bailey. I decided that she could use a role in one of my fanfics. :D

I always feel sorry for Ienzo because he's a child genius. I'm far from one, but I can imagine that it must suck, having all that knowledge and never having a chance to be innocent and wonder like kids are supposed to do. So maybe it was a little later than he would have thought, but Zexion was finally able to act like a child.

Maybe now he'll stop being so freaking emo. :D

Thank you for reading. Have fun!

--ash~nobody

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	4. Challenge Time

Hey yall! What's up? Ash here. Sorry this isn't a update, but this just might lead to one.

Big shocker: I'm stuck.

I don't know whether to continue the story or not, and if I did continue it, I don't know where I would lead it to. Death? Romance? Surprise adoption? Who knows.

So, for those of you who actually remember this story after a thousand-month long hiatus, challenge time!

Please leave a review or message me with your opinion on the matter of continuation, and, if in favor of said continuation, please help me with ideas! You'll get full credit just for stating your opinion, and a very long thank you in the next chapter.

And if yall vote nay on more chapters, then…here's a thanks in advance. Thanks!

Anyway, thank you for reading this. Happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely, Ash.


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